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“They’re all my babies, I love them all,” says Chester Osborne, the chief winemaker of McLaren Vale’s d’Arenberg.
He’s talking about the 85 wines d’Arenberg produces from 47 grape varieties. Choosing a single signature bottle? Impossible, he says.
Osborne has been chief winemaker since 1984, bringing over four decades of experience to his craft. Still, he feels like he’s just scratching the surface of what there is to learn about winemaking.
“The nuances of wine, you can only learn by making, iterating and tasting it yourself. We collect our yield yearly, so I’ve been quite lucky to start in my early 20s,” he tells The Jakarta Post during a wine tasting.
“But it’s such an intricate process that I don’t think even a lifetime would be sufficient!”
Hailing from South Australia, Osborne is as passionate about crafting the perfect wine as he is about creating the ideal experience to enjoy it.
Dead arm, deep flavors
Osborne pours a glass of Dead Arm, one of d’Arenberg’s most celebrated wines.
The name comes from a vine disease where part of the stem dies, but the other “arm” survives. Small batches of grapes are crushed to create Dead Arm and foot treading during fermentation and refining is crucial.
The creation process reflects the taste: Deep and complex.
Dead Arm delivers a concentrated cherry flavor, rich acidity and dark, earthy notes. Osborne describes it as “brooding and alluring”.
There’s a lot of structure in a bottle of Dead Arm, from a fragrant length of fennel and licorice to fruity spices. Though the flavors are bold, the wine is neither thick nor silky.
“It’s not too heavy despite its flavor, so if you’re new to wine-tasting, I’m pretty sure this can be a perfect introduction,” he says.
Beyond the vine
Osborne is quick to point out that the experience of wine goes beyond what’s in the bottle. For him, d’Arenberg’s cube encapsulates the essence of winemaking as an art and a puzzle.
“I love the Rubik’s Cube. I think it’s probably the most iconic puzzle in the world, right?” he laughs. “For us, winemaking is also a puzzle. We made this space in homage to that.”
The d’Arenberg Cube is a wine-tasting destination located next to the vineyards in McLaren Vale. The five-story, cube-shaped building offers panoramic views of the region and houses art installations, a wine sensory chamber and tasting spaces.
“The Sydney Opera House is an amazing building that represents the sea back home. We thought we should create the wine equivalent to that. It’s probably one of my proudest achievements so far in d’Arenberg,” he says.
The cube is filled with artistic treasures, including authentic works by Salvador Dalí, bronze sculptures and graphic art.
Osborne also sees it as an educational playground. Visitors can taste a variety of wines from d’Arenberg’s roster while attending workshops that provide a behind-the-scenes look at winemaking.
In a sense, the cube is a playground where people can be winemakers for a day.
The future of d’Arenberg
Under the Osborne family’s fourth generation of management, d’Arenberg continues to expand its vision.
“I’m making a book of our wines. In our catalogue, we’re going to have caricature figures representing each wine. We’ve collaborated with the top 70 Australian cartoon artists,” Osborne says.
The cube itself is evolving, with new sculptures and curated music in the works. Osborne also has plans to replicate the concept in other locations.
“We have plans to build more locations like it, because I think good wine deserves good visual and auditory experience to go along with it,” he says.
